Things I learned From Charlie Brown

*Just because it worked ten years ago does not mean it works today. This is the hardest realization most people have coming to them. As I've said in the past, just because there are roles I would love to play, it does not mean I should play them. I would have fought Everett tooth and nail to be Gaston, but I would loose- not my character type when it comes to acting. I would love to do Big River some time and be Huck Finn, but now I am too old. I would love to dance like Fred and Ginger, but I'm not that graceful. Just because I've done things a certain way for some time does not make me skilled.
*Critical opinion does not bother me anymore. People have always shared their opinions about shows we have done and sometimes I take them to heart and try to fix the suggestions, other times I would get really mad and tell them what I thought. Now I just say, thank you for your ideas and I move on. You can't please everyone, so don't try. Only please the people that surround you and the others will come or stay home or raise your own money and creat your own theatre group from scratch with only $400- $200 of which was used to rent the bulding. That easy. As the song goes, I look back and say I did it my way.
*I'm old. My body does not bend as it once did. I am still in recover from being beaten and falling on the ground. Suck it up, buddy... or stay home.
*Just because it is simple, that does not make it easy. CB was the smallest set and costume plot we have ever had, but it seemed to take the most time of any. This could be due to several reasons: I am am obsessive complusive when it comes to things. When I stop being that way, don't do shows with me anymore or they will get sloppy. Laborors were few. Usually I have more people in the summer to help with tech than I do projects. This time I had more projects that people. They style of the show dictated that most of the props be made. That goes back to the OCD thing, we could have used normal pencils and notebooks but that would have been a sloppy show that had no concept.
*Kids bring an audience. The more kids you have in a show, the more audience you get. I've always know this, but thought maybe I was wrong. Looks like it is a "Hard Knock Life".
*I can maintain a home and a show at the same time. Luckily, the girl I married likes to do shows- that makes it easier. If she didn't I probably wouldn't be able to do them. Support is everything, especially when it means eating dinner at odd times of food passed by a complete stranger out a little window.
*I'm addicted to french fries.
*Happiness is good friends and a wonderful family that will do anything for me.